NASA finally reveals the truth behind Apollo 16 UFO sighting

A UFO was spotted in a film taken by the crew of Apollo 16 in 1972. Now, this four-decades old mystery has an explanation.

A UFO was filmed by the crew of Apollo 16 in 1972. For years, people believed that an actual unidentified aerial phenomenon was captured skimming over the moon.

When looking at the footage of the object, it truly does appear to be a traditional saucer shaped craft with a dome on top. According to Express UK, astronauts Thomas Mattingly, Charles Duke and John Young, recorded the anomaly with a 16 mm camera.

Although it only lasts for approximately four seconds, this video has been widely debated throughout the years. The way the UFO was shot, it would appear as if it is moving in and out of frame.

There have been some interesting theories about what the object could be. Even the Science Channel program, NASA’s Unexplained Files delved into the mystery. Jim Oberg, an engineer who worked for the space agency, felt that it was a “photo of Earth” as seen from the moon.

However, if that were the case, our planet is not positioned where it should be. Oberg admitted that he made a mistake when a UFO expert pointed that fact out. It wasn’t until the early 00’s that the footage was thoroughly examined due to the monumental advancements in image analysis.

Finally, the question of whether or not what was captured on film was extraterrestrial was able to be answered. What NASA did was basically to combine different frames and boost the resolution so that they could see something that wasn’t readily noticeable to the naked eye in the past.

"Apollo 16 Mystery Sighting Solved Decades Later – NASA’s Unexplained Files | ScienceAfter the Apollo 16 astronauts return to Earth, photos taken in space appear to show an unidentified flying object floating near their craft. It takes decades for experts to determine what was hovering near the American astronauts."

You can clearly see a strut which appears to be connected to the UFO. Much to the chagrin of alien enthusiasts wanting to believe in the existence of E.T. like The X-Files’ Fox Mulder, the object isn’t an otherworldly spacecraft. The official NASA ruling is that the UAP is in fact, the command module spacewalk floodlight.

Were you familiar with this supposed UFO sighting? Let us know in the comments.